


cataclysm

by mkairi



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst, Gangs, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivalry, Slow Build, Slow Burn, jinson is kind of a background ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-02-06 11:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12817044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mkairi/pseuds/mkairi
Summary: Im Jaebum had everything he could want in a post-apocalyptic world. Being the leader of a gang with high notoriety and members who were loyal to him.Until he finds out about another gang trying to beat him and take him down from the top - especially their leader, Ars.





	1. one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is my first got7 fic! i've always wanted to write some kind of apocalypse-like scenario so i hope you enjoy! i love 2jae so much so i really wanted to write something with them and the members so this is what came from that, i guess;;

 

Jaebum loved this post-apocalyptic world.

  It was the product of multiple earthquakes and bombs being dropped. It had left very little to work with, but for the few who had resources this place was almost a heaven to them. It left them to rule. Many people had decided to not escape; this place was one of the least affected and there was really nowhere left to run. However, many people were left starving and hiding from the ones with the power. The city had become partially functioning again, with places selling what little products they had. Some people had even managed to grow their own food and were now selling it to the desperate people of the streets.

  Being the leader of a notorious gang that many were afraid of gave Jaebum a thrill that not much else could give to him. 

  Just thinking about the many who had attempted to ambush him without realising his power sets a smirk on his face. He looked around, surveying his place of residence.

  It was not a house, simply just a large room of a long-abandoned building. It must have been some kind of business before it was almost destroyed. Others lived with him in here. They had to prove themselves to him. Once they had shown their potential, he would allow them here. His ‘gang’, so to speak. One of the members was now sprawled across the broken couch in his room. He had come stumbling in without knocking - much to Jaebum’s dismay. Bloodied and bruised, but still smiling. Jaebum looked at him.

  “I knew they’d be strong, but not that strong,” the other had said. Jaebum resisted rolling his eyes at him.

  “So, I finally let you out on a mission on your own, and the first thing you do is fight someone who I told you specifically not to fight,” he responded. The corners of the other’s lips raised in a broken smile.

  “Hyung~ I couldn’t help myself,” he whined, putting on the fake childish voice he so often used when he wanted to annoy someone. Especially Jaebum.

  “What am I going to do with you, Jackson…?” Jaebum trailed off with a sigh, “you stay here. I’ll go get Jinyoung.” 

 

  Jinyoung was as close as they had to a medic. His knowledge of first aid was pretty good, and he had raided a hospital soon after the world crumpled. 

  Jaebum had found him while trying to find someone who had been following him for weeks. He had no gang yet; he was simply on his lonesome. Jinyoung was sleeping in an alley by himself, surrounded with a pretty good amount of supplies. Jaebum’s first instinct was to kill this stranger and steal his supplies. This stranger had deep black hair and was wearing clothes that were seemingly new despite almost everything being destroyed over a month ago. Jaebum had managed to get his knife out and walk closer when the other opened his eyes. Something about the dark, deep abyss of his eyes had convinced Jaebum to lower the knife. The stranger blinked a few times before noticing the glint of the lowered knife. Instead of scrambling to get away or screaming for mercy, he just blinked again. For no reason, Jaebum felt the need to apologise. He backed away, and then the stranger spoke.

  “Hey. What are you doing?” he said, as if there wasn’t a knife in Jaebum’s hand and murderous intent in his eyes. Now it was Jaebum’s turn to blink a few times in confusion.

  “Just… walking past,” he replied simply. The other let out a laugh that was too loud for Jaebum’s comfort. Anyone could hear him.

  “With a knife in your hand, walking directly toward me because…?” he asked in a joking manner. Jaebum was confused. He hadn’t heard anyone use a tone like that since the ‘apocalypse’ started. He made a tch sound, and waved the other off.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be going,” He turned his back, and the last image in his mind was the smirk of the stranger, as if he knew something that the other didn’t. He began walking off.

  That was his mistake.

  He didn’t hear any noise, but he felt the cool blade of a knife against the front of his neck. He didn’t even have time to react as someone had twisted his hands behind his back. He was frozen in spot. He attempted to turn his head only to see the dark eyes of the stranger. A smile had set itself on the stranger's lips.

  “You’ve really got to watch your surroundings,".

 

  From then on, they had travelled together, raiding places and gloating in their earnings. 

  Jackson, who they bumped into while attempting to hide, joined them a month or so later. He had jumped out to attack them, but was quickly subdued by the more experienced two. He begged for mercy, which made Jaebum smile. He was about to kill him, before Jinyoung stopped him. He had opened Jackson’s bag, which had contained knives, ammunition, and plenty of food supplies. It made them wonder why he had even attacked them. He was well off. Nevertheless, they accepted him.

 

And that was what all led them to today. Jaebum walked through the dimly lit building to the room where Jinyoung often stayed. He knocked on the door but didn’t wait for a response. Jinyoung was sitting at his desk of sorts, seeming to be writing notes of some kind. He turned toward the older male.

  “Jackson?” he asked. Jaebum nodded and Jinyoung sighed. He grabbed his bag full of medical supplies and followed Jaebum to his room. Jackson hadn’t moved, but his eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. This usually would have sent panic through most people, but Jaebum knew that Jackson had been through worse. Jinyoung sighed again. He walked toward the injured male and began checking his wounds. Jackson groaned in pain, but Jaebum ignored him. He instead focused his attention on Jinyoung.

  “We need more food. I got distracted and forgot to keep track on how much we’d eaten,” he stated simply, prepping himself to leave. 

  “Sure. I can help you out a bit later-” Jinyoung began, but was interrupted.

  “You have to look after Jackson. I can go out on my own,” Jaebum said. Jinyoung turned to face him, something in his eyes that Jaebum couldn’t pinpoint. It disappeared in an instant; Jinyoung was good in that sense. He could mask his emotions easily, as if it wassecond nature to him.

  “Jaebum, you can’t…” he trailed off. Jaebum brushed him off.

  “I’ll be fine. You just have to look after Jackson,” he reassured the other before leaving the room. He walked through the hall, picking up the backpack he always had ready to go for things like this. He put a mask over his face. He was lucky he was already wearing all black so it would be easier to hide. He was prepared for an ambush the second he exited the building. Jackson’s attacker - or attackers - probably saw him running here and were prepared to attack to whoever walked out that door next. His knife was at his side, hidden in a makeshift sheath. He surveyed the area for anything out of the ordinary. He had noticed nothing different, but still didn’t let his guard down.

  He has learned to not turn his back on anything. He knew how to survive out here. He knew every inch of this place from scouting it so many times. However, there were areas he didn’t know. Places he could never dream of going from his status as a leader.

  That’s where Jackson came in. While not being the most able fighter, he was smart as hell. He hid this by acting stupid, but when it came to tracking, strategies and navigating, he was the best at it. He, with his status as - what others could only see - just a wanderer in the streets, he could easily slip past the guarded places. He recently gave Jaebum the way to a recently opened convenience store (or as close as you can get to one) in an alley that was a bit far from here. Jaebum smiled. He had memorised the way and slowly made his way there.

 

* * *

 

  A younger boy with messy blond hair was sitting at a makeshift desk that was slowly falling apart. He wasn’t doing anything in particular; mostly just thinking in boredom. He gave a small sigh as he pushed his hair behind his ear. 

  “We found it!” someone announced enthusiastically as he walked through the door. The male who was at the desk smiled. A laugh escaped his lips, echoing around the building.

  “Thank you!” he said excitedly to the male who just walked in. The male in question had deep black, almost blue, hair that could almost be described as the colour of a raven’s wings. He was a whole lot taller than the other, and wore clothes seemingly too fancy for this apocalypse-like situation they were it. The blond stood up and took a breath in. The air was musty and uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. He hated it. He wanted to be free; to run outside without a fear in the world.

  That was unfortunately impossible in the world that they were in. 

  A male with brown hair walked into the room.

  “I could hear your laughter from downstairs. What is it?” he asked.

  “A new store that just opened. Bambam managed to find it while looking for clothes,” the raven-haired male replied. The other two sighed. It was not unlike Bambam to randomly leave their place of residence to go look for items of clothing. He ran a semi-successful clothing store - partially the reason the others had brought him in. He got a fair amount of money from it. There were always desperate people who simply wanted to escape the biting cold of the streets. Bambam would steal clothes from the dead lying on the streets or simply buy them for others and up the price when he sold them. People would call him a fraud, but his response was always the same, “You’ve gotta so what you’ve gotta do to survive out here.”

  Those words were true, and what their group always lived by. 

  The brunet smiled, “Not surprised. So, when are we going?” he asked. The raven-haired male thought for a minute.

  “Don’t know. It’s too bright outside right now, isn’t it?” he responded. The blond hummed in agreement. A hum with a delightful strength and melody to it.

  “Yeah... it is. We could go at dusk, maybe?” He suggested. The other two nodded.

  “Good idea. So, who’s going?” the brunet asked.

  “Anyone but Yugyeom. His clothing is too out-there for a situation like this,” a new voice said. Everyone turned to see a male whose white hair didn’t match his age. The raven haired boy - Yugyeom - lightly whacked the white-haired boy’s chest.

  “Shut up, Bambam. It’s not like yours are any better,” he replied. Bambam let a smirk fall onto his lips aimed at the raven-haired boy.

  “Guess they aren’t. Luckily, most of the things that I’m supposed to do are out of view of others,” he responded. Yugyeom smiled in response, half-leaning on the newcomer. The blond was laughing throughout the whole exchange; his bright laughs filled the vicinity with a cheerful aura. The brunet was barely holding back a smile.

  “So, it’s you two then?” Yugyeom confirmed, and the other two nodded in agreement.

  “We’ll probably leave in like… an hour or so?” the brunet suggested, then glanced to the blond as if asking if that was good enough. To the brunet’s relief, the other nodded. 

  “It won’t be too light, but not too dark either. It’s perfect,” the blond said with excitement. There was a glint in his eyes; it always appeared when they were planning a crime of some kind. Looking at him, no one would be able to imagine him loving this sort of thing. However, the other three know all too well.

  The room was silent after the plan was made. Yugyeom and Bambam excused themselves out of the room together, whispering about something the other two couldn’t hear. They heard a slight laugh from one of them before a door slammed shut. The blond smiled at the brunet, who managed a smile back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so, sorry this chapter was kinda boring it's mainly just setting up for the rest of the story ~~  
> and fun fact: i was thinking of the west block from no. 6 while writing about where jaebum lives, so if yall have seen that, it kinda looks like that;;  
> i hope you enjoyed reading!


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the kudos and especially the comments on the last chapter, it really means a lot!!  
>   
> there isn't much of a schedule to updating this fic, just whenever i'm satisfied with a chapter i'll upload it ~~  
> also, in the future updates won't be this close together, but i really love seeing that people enjoy reading this and commenting and giving kudos lmao so i got impatient;;; i hope you enjoy!

  Jinyoung sighed as he dabbed more rubbing alcohol on the older boy’s wounds. He was cut and bruised in many places. He didn’t bother to ask why the older boy was in this state. He just knew. He had probably picked a fight with someone and got severely beaten by them. Jackson kept letting out small groans of pain throughout the entire process. Jinyoung chose to ignore them, but did feel small pangs in his chest whenever he felt he had hurt Jackson. 

  Once Jinyoung had wrapped the final bandage around the older boy’s wrist, he noticed the boy in question had managed to fall asleep. Jinyoung couldn’t help but smile slightly. He cursed himself for so easily slipping out emotion in a situation like this. Especially when no one was there to see it.

  He just couldn’t help but think of Jaebum’s reaction to finding out that Jackson was asleep on his couch. Especially after he had just returned from a mission; all Jaebum would want to do was fall asleep. Jinyoung couldn’t wait to hear the resigned yells of him telling Jackson to get out, and then Jackson’s stupid way of answering things like this. Maybe, in another situation, Jinyoung may have found it endearing. He blinked a few times to clear his head, wondering what the _hell_ he was thinking and why it left a feeling lingering in his chest.

  He stood up quietly, trying not to wake up the sleeping boy. He left the room, back to his own. His desk had notes on it. They were all disorganised and messy, but to him they made sense. Anyone else looking upon it may be confused trying to decipher this mess, but Jinyoung could easily piece it all together. Instead of going to write more, his body betrayed him and laid himself on the bed. His mind was protesting, but the minute his head  hit the pillow, his whole body relaxed. He didn’t realise how tense he was until his back cracked and ached as he lay. He lifted his hands above his head to see dried blood staining his hands. He sighed and rested them next to him. He didn’t even bother changing into more comfortable clothes. He allowed himself to drift away into a sleep.

 

* * *

 

  Jaebum had heard something. Almost like a loud laugh, laced with evil intention. Of course, the second he heard it he hid, disappearing from the view of any onlookers. Once he had decided that all was clear he continued on his way. The sun would start to set very soon; he needed to get in and out of the place as fast as he could. He was close, according to Jackson’s directions. There was no other sound after that laugh, so Jaebum declared himself safe. He saw a light coming from what looked like an attempt of a restoration of an old house. There was a sign out front. Once he was in an alley near the building, he ran through his plan of action in his head. He took a breath in and held it, listening for any signs of life from the building. He couldn’t hear anything; it sounded like there were very little people in there. He smiled; word of this new store must not have gotten around yet. 

_My lucky day_ , he thought. He glanced through a window. There was food lined up on one wall and few pieces of clothing on the other side. Someone was sitting on on a chair at the very back. From what Jaebum could see, the other didn’t seem to have any weapons. However, he could never be too careful. He hugged the empty duffle bag to his side, hoping it will be filled very soon. He gripped the sheath of his knife with his other hand. He took a breath in and walked through the door. Now he could see everything clearly. It looked like the owner had been saving up these items for a while to sell them for an extra buck. _Shame it’ll all be gone soon_ , Jaebum thought. He let himself smile; the mask hid his emotions. 

“Welcome!” said the person in the front. It was a boy just younger than he was. He had black hair, but it already had a white tinge to it. Malnutrition. Jaebum saw many people on the streets suffering the same issue. He must have given up his own food in hope of making a profit. _Poor boy_ , Jaebum thought. However, he had done this so many times, all remorse left him. He bowed his head slightly in response. The boy seemed happy someone had come in. Jaebum didn’t care, though. He acted like he was deep in thought of which food he wanted. He slowly walked down the long table with the selection of food, closer to the boy. As he reached toward the end of the table, he turned toward the boy. Jaebum’s hand was gripping his knife. This next part was risky. Jaebum had no idea whether there were others here, or if the boy had anything for self defense. 

“Anything wrong-” the boy was cut of by Jaebum jumping forward and putting the knife to his neck. He forced the boy against the wall; there was no way he was going anywhere. The knife was pushed in; enough to draw blood. The boy froze, fear all over his face. Jaebum saw tears well up in the boy’s eyes. He naturally wanted to feel pity, but he couldn’t.

“P-Please… don’t… my family…” the boy pleaded as tears fell onto his face. Jaebum felt a pang in his chest, but he brushed this aside. For all he knew, this could be a ploy to get him to feel remorse.

“Don’t move and you stay alive,” Jaebum ordered, and the boy nodded as tears continued to fall. Jaebum removed the knife and the boy collapsed to the floor, grabbing his neck. He looked outside; it was getting dark. He knew he had to be back before it got really dark, or Jinyoung would worry. He made a small _tch_ sound. He wiped the knife of blood and went to work taking the food for himself. He was busy sweeping the food into the duffle bag when the boy spoke again.

“You’re… JB, right?” he said quietly. Jaebum froze for a moment. How could he have been so careless as to let his identity slip? However, this self-depreciation was taken over by a feeling of pride. He loved being the leader. Even some people as useless as shop owners knew him by name. The thrill of it all.

“Yeah, but what does it matter?” he growled. The boy curled into himself.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled in response, tears still wracking his frame. He was taking deep breaths that didn’t seem to quench his need for air. Jaebum smirked behind the mask. He had managed to stuff half of the food into his bag before he heard voices whispering outside. It was not easy to hear; almost like they were trying to be secretive. Jaebum quickly hid behind a table just in case. It was lucky he did.

Two males around Jaebum’s age had walked through the door. He noticed them surveying the area with their eyes. One of them had deep brown hair and was wearing a mask similar to the one Jaebum was wearing. The other had the top half of his face obscured by a cap, however he noticed he had blond hair sticking out from the bottom of it. They were both wearing old hoodies that had been obviously been worn down by the environment they were in. 

The blond looked in Jaebum’s general direction. Jaebum froze, not wanting to be seen by the newcomer. However, it seemed like he wasn’t noticed. What he did notice was the food that Jaebum hadn’t managed to get yet.

And the smile that landed on the blond’s face was something he would never forget.

Jaebum couldn’t see the blond’s eyes, but was sure that the smile would have created crinkles next to his eyes. Something about it made Jaebum want to get out and just offer the rest of the food to him. 

He almost made himself laugh at how ridiculous that thought was.

Why would he give up his hard-earned food?

He shook his head to clear his mind of thoughts. The brunet walked toward the front desk where the now-collapsed boy lay. He was no longer making much noise, though the brunet didn’t seem to affected by this. He watched the boy for a few seconds before gesturing to the blond to grab the food. The blond went to work gently picking up each bit of food and carefully placing it in a bag.

Jaebum noticed he could no longer hear the shop owner or his shaky, last breaths. He knew what happened. And he was glad that Jaebum, himself, was probably the last thing that was ever in this boy’s mind.

However, a more pressing matter was at hand. Jaebum knew he had to get out. And fast. The blond was distracted, talking to the other in a hushed voice. Jaebum couldn’t hear clearly, but he wasn’t going to waste anymore time just sitting here. He crawled silently toward the door. He knew that, even if he made it to the door without being caught, he would have to expose himself for long enough to exit. 

He made it to the edge of the table. It was time for him to leave. 

He took a silent breath in and stood up quickly. He ran as fast as he could out the store. However, his foot had caught on one of the legs on the table. His body flew forward but, luckily, the duffle bag stopped his fall. The sound of his fall resonated throughout the store, and the two males spun around to find the source of the noise. Jaebum scrambled up but he noticed something that stopped his movement. 

The blond was looking down at him from across the room and from this angle, Jaebum could see his entire face. His eyes were a deep, dark brown. His stare seemed to pin Jaebum to the ground. All three boys were frozen, but Jaebum didn’t understand why _he_ was. There was something about the blond’s stare that made him not want to leave. Something that made him want to continue staring into his eyes to figure out what he was thinking. It was at that moment that the blond smiled at him, but Jaebum couldn’t figure out why.

He took this as a sign to run. 

He stumbled up and bolted out the door. He decided to take a long route home, in case the other two were following. He kept tripping over things left on the ground, and his thoughts weren’t in as good as an order as they usually were. 

He knew why. 

Something about that smile the random blond had given him had confused him. Disarmed him, even. He hated it. 

  He hated not being in control.

 

* * *

 

He arrived at his place of residence much later than he thought he would, with a bag much lighter than originally planned. As soon as he unlocked the door and stood inside, he felt two arms tentatively wrap around him. He blinked a few times before realising who the other was.

Jinyoung’s head was bowed slightly as he awkwardly held the older boy. Jaebum was frozen, but he managed to reassuringly pat the other’s back. He knew the younger was always worried about him when he was on missions, especially on his own. Jaebum knew he was incredibly late back, and that must have panicked the other.

“Jinyoung, I’m sorry. Something happened and I was held back-” he attempted to explain, but Jinyoung had cut him off. Jinyoung looked up, and Jaebum could swear he could see something in the younger’s eyes that he was obviously trying to hide.

“It’s not that. It’s Jackson,” Jinyoung began as he pulled away from the other. Jaebum was confused. Jinyoung took a - shaky? - breath in.

“He… He won’t wake up.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for that last bit,,,i wasn't going to make this too angsty but it just happened,,,
> 
> i wonder who the mysterious blond could be???!1?!?!11? was there a 2jae moment??11??1?1  
> at this point it's pretty obvious though lmao;;;
> 
> anyway, feel free to leave kudos and especially comments, they help me get motivation to write more ~~


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year!! i've written a lot for this fic (and i may or may not have started a yugbam fic as well~~) so i hope you enjoy!
> 
> also i'm sorry this chapter might kinda seem like filler but i promise it'll get interesting!! don't give up on it yet lmao

  Jaebum wasn’t sure how to respond. Jinyoung would never be affected by someone else’s state of being, unless it was Jaebum himself.

“What do you mean?” was the only reply he could think of.

“He just… won’t. I cleaned his wounds for a bit and he fell asleep. After I was done I had a rest, but I woke up a little while later and decided to check on him. He didn’t wake up at first, but I kept shaking him and doing all sorts of things to wake him but… nothing worked. His heart rate and breathing are too slow. Jaebum, I… just don’t know what to do,” the younger boy explained in a voice Jaebum had never heard him use before.

“Jinyoung, it’s okay. He’ll wake up eventually. Just let him recover,” he let his natural leadership take over him. Jinyoung swallowed and nodded. He was hiding his emotions, and he was pretty damn good at it. 

However, at times like this, he just wished that Jinyoung would let it all out. He knew all too well that holding everything in would cause him to explode one day. 

“I’ll go check on him again…” the younger boy began to say, but now Jaebum cut him off.

“Don’t. I will. You don’t want to get more upset by seeing him again,” he replied, almost brushing Jinyoung off. This caused the younger to glare at the older boy.

“I’m not upset. Just… didn’t expect it, that’s all,” he responded in defense. However, Jaebum was still adamant that Jinyoung didn’t go. 

“Jinyoung, rest. It’ll be okay,” he stated. It was almost an order. Jinyoung looked at him, something resembling a hidden plea flickered in his eyes. However, this look was soon gone and replaced with a small scowl. He left to his own room. Jaebum felt bad, but it was completely unlike Jinyoung to greet him with a hug, so something was wrong.

Seriously wrong. 

He walked to where he remembered Jackson last being, his own room. 

He was right. The brunet was lying down on his couch. From where Jaebum was standing, he couldn’t see his chest moving. With a slight urgency in his step, he walked toward Jackson. Jaebum grabbed his wrist and began feeling around for a pulse.

He would never admit to feeling relieved when he could feel the light, steady beat. He glanced up and down the other’s body, looking at all the bandages and gauzes on the male asleep on his couch. _Jinyoung did a good job,_ he thought to himself. He slightly shook Jackson’s shoulders, but he showed zero sign of waking up. His heart rate didn’t rise, nor did his breath falter. There was no movement behind his eyelids.

Jaebum decided he would give up on trying to wake the boy for now. It was dark outside. Maybe the younger boy was beyond exhausted and passed out onto his couch. Jaebum stood up to get changed and go to bed when realisation dawned on him. His bed was in this room. Where Jackson was. Jaebum didn’t know why, but he felt kind of off. Not right. He didn’t know why simply the fact that Jackson was passed out on his couch gave him this feeling. He tried his best to brush it away, but an odd feeling settled in his chest. He grabbed a small blanket from the end of his bed to gently lay on Jackson. Of course, the younger boy showed no visible reaction. Jaebum sighed, and preceded to take his shirt off and change into more comfortable shorts to sleep in. He didn’t know why he felt so exposed even though he did this almost every day. He quickly lay himself onto his uncomfortable makeshift bed. It was just two broken couches put together to give more room for himself. He was lucky, though. Many people had to just lay on the streets in the cold on the hard ground. However, he knew he worked for what he had. 

He wasn’t the leader in a notorious gang for nothing.

He closed his eyes and hoped sleep would take him away. 

 

* * *

 Jaebum had dreamt that night. 

He was sitting in an empty field. He could hear birds tweeting and wind blowing through the trees around him. He lay down to fully take in the warm sun above him. Everything was normal. It was before the apocalypse had happened. The sky was completely clear, not a cloud in sight. Jaebum felt a longing for this place. He loved being the leader, but sometimes he wished that everything could go back to when everything was okay.

Suddenly, the sky clouded up. Jaebum looked at his hands and they were covered in blood. He sat up and saw his clothes were tattered and bloodstained. He felt panic set in his chest as he stood and desperately looked for somewhere to run. All he saw was grass and trees stretching for miles in each direction. He picked a direction and ran. Things started appearing in his vision. He got closer to one; it seemed to be a person. This person was lying on the ground. He got closer and froze. 

The figure was Jinyoung; eyes closed and blood dripping from a wound in his chest. Jaebum tried to let out a scream, but the dream simply didn’t let him. He wanted to help him, but he knew there was no hope. The younger’s boys suddenly shot open and Jaebum reeled backward. A voice that sounded almost nothing like Jinyoung’s left his lips.

“Jaebum, please…” he pleaded. Jaebum wanted so desperately to look away, but his eyes were so transfixed on the dying form of Jinyoung. He didn’t know how to reply and tears filled his eyes.

“Who did this to you?” was all he could think of to reply. He wanted to comfort the dying boy, but he didn’t know how. The younger boy took a sharp breath in, like that question had physically hurt him. The boy struggled to make eye contact with Jaebum.

“Him. It was A-”

* * *

 

Jaebum woke up in a cold sweat. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times to get rid of the image of Jinyoung’s dying body from his mind. The one window he had in his room was spilling light throughout the place. It was too bright for him. He stretched and a small groan left his lips unintentionally. He sat up and saw a figure kneeling in front of the couch across the room. It took him a while to pinpoint who the figure was and a feeling of relief washed over him.

“Jinyoung?” he called out. The black-haired male looked toward him and smiled slightly.

“Jackson’s awake,” he responded, “unfortunately,” he added as an afterthought. Jaebum saw a hand come from the bed and hit the younger boy. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief at this simple response. Just as he began getting out of bed, he suddenly felt self-conscious. He was pretty much wearing nothing and currently all the members of his gang were in his bedroom; his private room. He scanned for the nearest clothes and, as soon as he stepped out of bed, grabbed them. He managed to put on the mismatched hoodie and plaid tracksuit pants combination without much attention being drawn to himself. He walked over to the two boys and looked down at the weakened boy on his couch.

“So, you alright?” he asked. The brunet on his couch just smiled, but Jaebum could see his eyes had dark circles around them and that his cheekbones were more defined than usual.

“As good as I can be after passing out for twelve hours,” he answered honestly, managing to earn a laugh from the black-haired male tending to his wounds. It was unlike Jinyoung to laugh at a comment as simple as that, but Jaebum brushed it off. _He must just be relieved over being able to see Jackson awake after how he reacted to it yesterday,_ Jaebum thought to himself before turning his attention to the boy on his couch again.

“Are you hungry at all?” he asked. Jackson quickly shook his head.

“Not really, actually. Don’t worry about it,” he answered, but Jaebum didn’t believe him. However, instead of pressing further, he decided to leave him alone. He was weakened, and probably not thinking straight.

“Jinyoung, I have to talk to you,” he said, turning his attention once again to the youngest in the room. Jinyoung turned around, the small smile on his face faltering.

“Oh?” was his response before his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled out of the room. Jaebum brought him to Jinyoung’s room. Jaebum turned on the light as there were no windows in this room. He often wondered why Jinyoung had chosen this room as his as there was another perfectly good, much larger, windowed room in the building. However, he never pried for an answer. His mind went back to what he brought Jinyoung in here to talk about.

“About last night,” he began, trying to choose his next words carefully, “I wasn’t able to completely raid the shop last night. I went too far and accidentally killed the owner, but that’s not important,” he continued and Jinyoung cocked his head slightly.

“And…?”

“I think I messed up. Badly.”

Jinyoung sighed, “How is that?” 

Jaebum wasn’t really sure how to answer, “Well, two other people came into the store but I managed to hide. Then… they held up the store, too. There was a brunet and a blond…” he didn’t mention how the blond in question had managed to pin him to the ground with his stare and he didn’t even want to fight against it. He didn’t mention how the blond’s smile made him want to offer what he had already stolen to him. Jinyoung’s breath hitched.

“Blond?” he asked, and Jaebum nodded in agreement and confusion.

“Yeah… and?” he responded. Jinyoung shook his head.

“Don’t worry. Anyway, how did it go, other than that?”

“I left. I didn’t want to stay there while they were there, too. I didn’t trust them,” _or his smile_ was left unsaid, “I didn’t get as much food as I could have,” he finished, looking Jinyoung in the eye.

“It’s alright. If Jackson-hyung is better by tomorrow, I can go,” the younger replied. Jaebum sighed, exasperated. Jinyoung always offered to go on missions, even though he knew that wasn’t his strong point. Jaebum just didn’t want want Jinyoung to get hurt.

“Okay, sure then. I’m going back to Jackson,” he said before excusing himself out of the younger’s room. When he entered his own room, he felt a surge of panic when Jackson’s eyes were closed again. However, upon hearing Jaebum’s footsteps, Jackson’s eyes shot open and a smile landed on his face. Jaebum walked closer until he reached the couch that the younger boy was laying on.

“So, what did you talk to Jinyoung about~” Jackson singsonged in a pure attempt to annoy the leader. Jaebum gritted his teeth but then relaxed himself easily.

“Please know the only reason I haven’t hit you is because you’re unwell,” he responded and Jackson let out a loud laugh. The laughs were racking his weakened body, and Jaebum couldn’t help but smile. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was happy that Jackson was alive and as well as he could be. Jaebum quickly wiped this smile away before Jackson could see it. 

He was too slow.

“Was that a smile I saw, Jaebum-hyung?” Jackson queried, a smirk falling onto his lips. Jaebum had to stop himself from whacking Jackson on the chest.

“If you weren’t ill right now…” he trailed off, though the smile had reappeared from Jackson’s antics.

“What would you do to me, hyung~?” Jackson murmured and Jaebum couldn’t stop himself this time. His hand automatically hit Jackson’s bicep.

“A-Ah!” Jackson cried, overreacting to Jaebum’s soft tap on his arm.

“Jackson,” Jaebum sighed, and the stupid smile appeared on Jackson’s face, “just get some rest. Are you sure you aren’t hungry?” he asked. Jackson hadn’t eaten for _at least_ twelve hours and, now that Jaebum thought about it, he hadn’t seen Jackson eat much prior to that. Almost as if it was responding to Jaebum’s words, Jackson’s stomach growled in hunger. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jaebum said but Jackson shook his head.

“No, hyung, you can eat first! Don’t worry about me!” he said, his smile growing wider, but more forced. Jaebum looked at the younger in confusion.

“Jackson, you’re injured. I’m not. I think you’re at a higher priority than what I am,” he stated, his leader role coming into play. Though to someone viewing from the outside, he would seem intimidating and murderous, he really cared for his members. 

Jackson sighed, “well, if you insist I guess I can’t resist.”

Jaebum nodded, satisfied with this answer.

As he left the room, a bad feeling settled in his stomach. _Is Jackson really okay?_

It didn’t help when he entered the main room to see Jinyoung flush against the wall, someone holding a knife to his throat.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... i didn't expect the chapter to end like that but it just kinda happened so,, here you go 
> 
> also, i'm sorry it's taking so long to get to the 2jae stuff, but it's tagged as slow burn for a reason (but in a few chapters time it'll get ... interesting) ~~
> 
> comments and kudos are super appreciated so please do so!! it helps with motivation and stuff ^^


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not too satisfied with this chapter, but hopefully it's enjoyable enough!!

Jaebum watched carefully as Jinyoung said something to the person with the knife. Jinyoung didn’t seem scared, but his eyes were glancing for something. The person with the knife laughed slightly and Jaebum watched as his hand tightened on the grip of his knife. Jinyoung glanced in Jaebum’s direction and had to hide the relief on his face from his attacker. Jaebum simply nodded in reply; Jinyoung put all of his trust in the older boy.

The person with the knife spoke to Jinyoung once again, but it was too quiet for Jaebum to hear. Jaebum knew that his own knife was under his pillow in his room. He needed to grab it if he had any chance of saving Jinyoung. His attacker was tall — _very_ tall. He had black hair that differed in shade from Jinyoung’s. Jaebum waited for Jinyoung to look his way again and when he did, he gestured for the younger boy to wait and calm down. Jaebum dashed to his room, ignoring a confused Jackson. He grabbed his knife and ran back to the room where Jinyoung was being held. Jackson didn’t know what to say to him, so he stayed quiet.

Jaebum made it back to the room and gripped the knife tighter. Jinyoung was talking to his attacker, a look of pure hatred on his face. Jinyoung couldn’t move his head anymore. The knife was now further up his throat, and if Jinyoung moved it would cut him easily. Jaebum began to move toward the two, hiding behind empty crates that littered the floor. He was breathing hard, knowing the fate of Jinyoung’s life rested in his hands. As he moved closer, Jinyoung’s attacker whipped his head around. Jaebum cursed himself for making noise. The tall, black-haired attacker smiled.

“Ah, JB! You found us~,” he said tauntingly. Jaebum gritted his teeth and stood to his full height, not hiding anymore.

“Let him go,” he growled, holding his knife tightly. The tall man laughed. 

“Not quite yet,” he said. He moved his hand so the knife drew blood. Jinyoung clenched his jaw but didn’t let the pain get to him. Jaebum felt anger flare up inside him. Jinyoung was trying to look at him, his eyes hopeless. Jinyoung wasn’t the best at fighting and knew he couldn’t get out of this. Jaebum approached the attacker, hiding his knife from view. The attacker didn’t move, just turned to watch Jaebum. Jaebum paused for a moment before attacking. His hand jutted out to stab the attacker, but the other was surprisingly fast. He dropped Jinyoung to the ground but Jaebum couldn’t save him yet. The taller of the two fighters thrust his knife forward, barely missing Jaebum’s head. Jaebum retaliated by kicking the legs of the tall intruder, causing him to drop to his knees, surprised. Jaebum had dealt with people like this before. He knew what to do. 

He gripped the other’s hair and put his knife in front of his throat. The man on the floor was frozen, almost as if he hadn’t expected this to end so suddenly.

“What the _hell_ are you doing in here?” Jaebum growled at him, and the other let out a weak smile.

“Wow, JB~, you’re even more intense than I imagined,” he joked. Jaebum gritted his teeth, and tried to hide his pleasure of the fact that he knew who he was.

“Answer my question,” he stated, gripping the boy’s hair tighter.

“Okay, okay! I was sent here, I didn’t have a choice,” the boy answered. Jaebum rolled his eyes.

“And you decided to almost kill one of my members because…?” he asked, not planning on letting the boy leave.

“I was told to! Someone told me that the way I could get you was to hurt someone,” he tried to explain, but Jaebum wasn’t having it.

“Who told you that?” 

“I can’t say,”

Jaebum was so close to cutting this boy’s throat and leaving him, but he needed to know.

“Tell me, or you’re not leaving here alive,” he threatened. The boy raised his hands in a surrender. 

“Fine, it was Ars! He told me to bring you to him,” the tall boy admitted. Jaebum cocked his head to the side.

“Bring me to him? Like I was just going to follow you there after you almost killed someone,” Jaebum said annoyedly, in all honestly just wanting the boy to leave him alone. Of course, this had happened before. People threatening to kill him and whatnot. It all comes with being the leader in a gang. He was just tired of this. However, this “Ars” person definitely piqued his curiosity, “who are you, anyway?” he asked. The boy swallowed nervously.

“Yugyeom,” he responded, trying to avoid looking at him.

“Yugyeom, you better tell ‘Ars’ that if he wants to talk to me, he better come in here himself,” he told the boy before lifting him up as much as he could by his hair. He shoved the boy toward the door. The boy nodded and left. Jaebum quickly rushed over to Jinyoung, who was slumped against the wall, holding his throat.

“Jinyoung, are you okay?” he asked. Jinyoung looked up at him.

“Yeah, it’s alright. It’s just a cut, I’ll fix it,” he answered. Jaebum sighed with relief, “I’m so, so sorry I got you all caught up in this situation. I didn’t even see him enter,” Jinyoung apologised. Jaebum shook his head.

“Don’t apologise. It’s not your fault,” he tried to reassure the younger boy.

“But… I know about Ars,” Jinyoung suddenly confessed and Jaebum was taken aback.

“W-What?” he didn’t mean to stutter, but it just happened.

“It’s why I asked you about the blond guy earlier. I went out to get medical supplies and as I was trying to pay, the person at the counter asked me if I was in Ars’ gang. I asked himwho Ars was and he was telling me about how cool he was, basically. It’s rather new gang, and their leader is Ars. When he attacks people, he lulls them to sleep with song. He sends them away singing, I guess,” Jinyoung explained. Jaebum sat, trying to take in all this new information.

“Why is he so important?” he asked, trying to figure out why everyone knew about him.

“I’m not sure. Even though we’re around, people seem to be more scared of him. He’s apparently really nice until he attacks. I don’t know much about him. But the one thing the shopkeeper told me was that he had strawberry blond hair and always tried to obscure the top half of his face,” Jinyoung stated, and he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. _Oh, shit,_ Jaebum thought to himself, finally connecting the dots in his head.

“Then that must have been him at the store last night. He saw me and seemed to know who I was,” he said carefully. Jinyoung sighed and nodded. 

“That’s a problem. He’s probably going to try to attack us. With Jackson down, we’re in trouble. Who knows how many people are in his gang?” he said, “I’m gonna go fix this,” he stated, gesturing to his neck with his free hand. Jaebum nodded. 

Even after Jinyoung had left, Jaebum didn’t move. The only thing on his mind was Ars.

 

* * *

 

Yugyeom had burst through the door of the residence. Bambam greeted him, excited to see his bo- best friend again.

“Hey, Yugyeomie,” he said comfortably, side hugging the other. However, Yugyeom seemed preoccupied.

“Where’s Youngjae?” he asked. Bambam paused.

“Upstairs in his room,” he answered, confused as to why the younger boy was so flustered. 

“Thanks!” the boy in question answered as detached himself from the white-haired boy and ran upstairs. He quickly found the correct door and ran in without knocking. The blond boy at the desk turned to him expectantly, but soon this expression turned into one of confusion. 

“Where’s…?” he began, but Yugyeom shook his head.

“I couldn’t get him. I didn’t realise how strong he was when I accepted the mission,” he answered. The blond boy — Youngjae — almost seemed disappointed, but he replaced this look with a smile.

“It’s alright, Yugyeom. He managed to almost completely raid a store by himself, it’s not like he’d be that weak,” he reassured the younger boy.

“There’s just one problem,” Yugyeom began, and Youngjae looked up at him, “I may or may not have accidentally mentioned you and told him my name,” he admitted. Youngjae paused for a second. Soon, an smile crept onto his face.

“It’s alright. He can know who I am. To be honest, it’s better if he does,” he said. Yugyeom couldn’t quite pinpoint the feeling that was brightly shining in his leader’s eyes.

“He also told me if you wanted to see him, you’d have to go see him yourself,” he said, but Youngjae didn’t falter.

“That’s alright,” he answered, “you did really well, Yugyeomie. Thank you!” he replied, standing from his desk and wrapping his arms around the younger boy. Yugyeom liked this side of Youngjae — the sweet, caring and adorable side of him, “now, Bambam’s been waiting for you. You’d better go see what he wants~!” Youngjae teased. Yugyeom blushed slightly before leaving the room. 

Youngjae flopped down at his desk and sighed. He didn’t realise what he’d signed up to being a leader. It was tiring and such hard work. All he wanted to do was be outside in the sun, maybe even making friends that weren’t his members. But that went all out the window when the apocalypse started. He missed his life beforehand. Being a part time café worker and part time vocal trainer was all he ever wanted to do, but that was taken away from him. He was suddenly thrust into this world and had to make do with what he had. It was only when he had decided to raid the store that night where it had changed.

When he looked down and saw a figure half-crouching, half-standing. He had deep, cold brown eyes and brown hair to match. Youngjae didn’t know what to do. He was captivated by the brunet’s stare. He recognised him as JB, the leader of a gang that almost everyone was afraid of. 

Youngjae had watched JB freeze as he fell and his eyes wouldn’t allow him to look away. Youngjae’s eyes had glanced over JB’s features. Even though the lower half of his face was covered by a mask, Youngjae couldn’t help but look. He noticed two small moles above JB’s left eye. JB had broad shoulders and Youngjae let his eyes glance over JB’s body. He couldn’t help but let a smile grace his lips as he looked. When Youngjae looked back toward JB’s face, he was staring right back. 

And as Youngjae did another once over of JB — his eyes, his shoulders, the lips that were hidden behind a mask — he realised he had become so suddenly captivated by the boy who everyone was afraid of.

But as quickly as the boy in question showed his presence he left, leaving Youngjae pining for someone he know he shouldn’t be so attracted to. He knew he had to get on with raiding the store as the brunette with him reminded him. His mind was plagued with thoughts of JB. He knew what JB had done and some of the things were horrible. Youngjae didn’t know why this made him like JB so much. Maybe he hoped that JB would teach him his ways, or maybe there was something else that Youngjae wasn’t ready to admit to himself quite yet.

He quickly shook himself of these thoughts. He was supposed to be too preoccupied with his work to think about anything else. That’s what a lot of people thought of him. He closed his eyes and began humming a tune to himself. The melody flowed through the air, filling up the quiet space of his room. He soon began singing quietly, trying to not disturb the other members of his house. The oldest member, Mark, was in his own room, probably trying to sleep as he had a mission that night. And the two youngest, Bambam and Yugyeom, were doing who knows what downstairs in one of their rooms. Youngjae sighed and tried to not think about it too deeply. He knew he had to make a plan for getting JB, but whenever he thought of him he got lost in thoughts about the very male he was trying to get.

Youngjae knew this was going to be hard. Very hard.

But for some reason, he’d want to do it just to be able to see JB again.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ....... it might be happening.  
> this was a lead up for the next few chapters, and i promise you it'll get /very/ interesting.  
> thank you so much for reading, and please feel free to leave kudos or comment!


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really enjoyed writing this chapter, you'll see why~~

“I can’t believe I’d let him do this to you,”

“Jaebum, it’s really okay-”

“It’s not!”

Jaebum was pacing around Jinyoung’s — small — room, angry at himself for letting the stranger in. Jinyoung had managed to bandage his neck up and he assumed it’d be okay within a week. He could already tell that Jaebum wasn’t going to let this go and he would unleash all of his fury on this Ars guy if he ever turned up at this place.

“Jaebum, please just sit down for a minute,” he tried to calm his leader. The leader in question was livid, but visibly calmed when he heard Jinyoung’s ‘calm’ voice. Jinyoung would usually have to use this certain voice on Jackson when he got too rowdy, but he figured Jaebum would need it now. Jaebum sat on the end of Jinyoung’s bed.

“I swear I’m gonna find this Ars guy myself and-” he began, but Jinyoung hesitantly rested his hand on the leader’s who jumped in surprise. However, this simple act of kindness fizzled the last bits of anger away.

“I’m alright. Jackson’s alright. You’re alright. You know full well if Ars came here, you’d beat him in an instant. There’s nothing to worry about, Jaebum,” Jinyoung tried to calm the older boy down. Jaebum just sighed. He knew Jinyoung was right, but didn’t want to admit it quite yet. He was nowhere near forgiving Ars for sending someone down to try to kill one of his members. 

One of his… friends?

He hadn’t heard anything from Jackson yet. He presumed that he had managed to sleep again, though it was early in the morning. He sighed and pulled his hand out from under Jinyoung’s. 

“I’ll go check on Jackson,” Jinyoung announced after a short silence. He left, leaving Jaebum sitting on Jinyoung’s bed alone. He noticed notes scribbled down on messy pieces of paper. He stood up and tentatively read them.

They made no sense. Jaebum just sighed and made his way back to his own room. He walked in to Jinyoung leaning rather close to the slightly older boy. Jaebum wasn’t quite sure what to do, so he just stood in the doorway. It didn’t take long for Jinyoung to move away, seeming to have whispered something to Jackson. Jackson’s hand gently reached for the bandaged cut on Jinyoung’s neck, but the boy in question swatted his hand away, almost… laughing? Jackson spotted Jaebum in the doorway and his small smile let Jinyoung be aware of the oldest boy’s presence. He turned around and something flickered in his eyes that Jaebum couldn’t quite pinpoint. There was a somewhat awkward atmosphere, but Jackson tried his best to break it.

“So, hyung, about that food…?” he joked, but the air was awkward. Jinyoung cleared his throat and stood up.

“I’ll just… go get the things to change his bandages,” he announced, gesturing to the boy who was lying on the couch. He briskly left the room, leaving Jackson and Jaebum on their own. Jackson shrugged his shoulders.

“Not sure what’s wrong with him,” he said, letting his signature smile fall onto his lips. Jaebum tried to return a smile, but looked forced and uncomfortable.

The air was tense from what had just happened.

Jaebum just wished it all go back to normal.

He need to go out and clear his head.

* * *

 

A day had passed since Yugyeom had broke into JB’s base. Youngjae had come up with a plan to enter it again, just like JB had asked of him. He felt excited, but nerves still rushed through his bloodstream. All he wanted to do was talk to the person who had so easily captured his attention. If he managed to talk to him, even just _look_ at him, he wouldn’t know what to do. They were supposed to be rivals, right? They were both leaders of gangs in this post-apocalyptic world.

Yet, there was something unexplainable that drew Youngjae toward JB.

The blond sighed and stretched his arms out. _It’s too cramped in here,_ he thinks, sighing once more. He knew his members hated him sneaking out, but he loved it. Being able to be out freely, not a care in the world. He would walk around the streets, taking in the fresh air. Well, as fresh as it can be nowadays. He knew the risks and his members, especially Mark, hated when he went out on his own. But at this point, he had been in his room for way too long. He walked down the stairs, slightly concerned from the lack of noise from where the maknaes were. He just sighed and stood outside. The sun was bright and hot in the sky. A smile fell onto his lips as he began walking out. The warmth of the sun above prickled his exposed arms and he let the heat sink into his body. He breathed out his nerves and continued walking. He eventually met his destination.

It was a place that must’ve been a playground or park before the world fell. The only thing that remained was a small, singular swingset and a few benches. He sat on the swing, but didn’t begin swinging quite yet. He sat, holding onto the ropes either side of him, and thought.

No matter what he did, his mind always seemed to go right back to JB. He closed his eyes and let the wind swing him. 

And he began to sing.

His words and melody disappeared as soon as they left his lips; drifting off into the wind. All Youngjae could do was hope his words made it to someone. He hoped that someone, somewhere, would finally hear him. He felt his throat become sore, but he kept singing. He let his emotions take over his voice and before he knew it, he had launched into a power ballad he had written with a friend. The wind had calmed down as he reached his favourite part of the song. The high notes no longer disappeared into the wind, they sat surrounding him, letting everyone know that it’s _him._ Just as he was about to finish his song, someone cut it off for him.

“So, he was right. You’re pretty good,” he heard someone comment. Youngjae felt like he had almost gotten whiplash from how fast he spun around.

The first thing that he noticed were the two small moles above the person’s left eye. 

He almost fell off the swing he was on. He heart sped up, not knowing the intention of the other male. Something flashed in the other male’s eyes that Youngjae couldn’t pinpoint. The blond tried to form coherent sentences, but the words just got caught in his throat.

“Y-You,” he tried to say, but knew there was no way he’d sound threatening. The other male smiled.

“And my name is…?” he asked. Youngjae noticed this odd request, but knew some things from the rumours. He loved when people recognised him.

So, Youngjae obviously decided to do the opposite. 

“I’m not quite sure,” he replied, trying to seem confident. He saw the other male’s chin stick out just a little. He walked so that Youngjae no longer had to turn to face him. It wasn’t like Youngjae _wasn’t_ expecting some kind of anger as a response to his remark.

What Youngjae didn’t expect was to be lifted up forcefully by the collar of his shirt. His entire self was lifted up, and his face was oh-so close to the other male’s.

“It’s JB. And you’d better remember it,” he growled, “ _Ars,_ ” he added on, anger slowly pooling in his voice.

Youngjae’s heart stopped for a second upon hearing JB’s lips utter his own name. Or alias, he should say. He swallowed, trying to push down the nerves that tried to make their way through his system. 

“Okay, JB,” was his only proper response. He felt the grip on his collar get suddenly tighter. He finally had the courage to look JB in the eyes. However, JB’s own eyes were wondering across the body of the person he was holding up. It was almost as if JB felt his stare, and looked right back up. His cool, brown eyes locked with Youngjae’s own. Youngjae was frozen, enthralled by the stare of the other male.

He felt like he never wanted to look away.

Suddenly, his body was thrust toward the ground and he landed with a heavy _thump_. He looked back up toward JB, and noticed the telltale glint of a knife in his left hand.

_Oh._

That was all he could think of before JB was suddenly over him, and the blond could feel the all-too familiar feeling of a blade against his throat. He looked up to see the unmerciful, cold eyes of JB. JB’s legs were on either side of Youngjae’s thighs, one hand next to his head and the other holding the knife. Youngjae was effectively caged in with no mean of escape.

“Don’t ever think about hurting one of my members _ever_ again,” JB growled, glaring at the boy underneath him.

The fleeting thought that _I could die right here_ flowed through Youngjae’s head, but his instincts as a leader took over. He knew full well that JB was much stronger and more powerful than he would ever be. But he couldn’t just die right here. He took a few breaths in before he jutted his hand out to hit JB’s elbow that was holding him up, effectively causing him to lose balance for a second. Youngjae took this opportunity of JB’s confusion to push the hand with the knife away and sat up. JB regained his composure but it was too late. Youngjae used all his strength to push JB over, and for some reason he didn’t fight back. His knife dropped to his side and Youngjae grabbed it. He began looming over the other male, almost replicating what the other had done to him barely seconds ago.

But it felt so, so wrong.

JB was so much stronger than that, right?  
_Why is he letting me win?_

He looked down at JB, the hand with the knife shaking. JB smirked slightly and Youngjae couldn’t explain the shivers that ran through his body.

“Come on. Hurt me,” JB challenged, and Youngjae’s natural caring instinct overrode his actions. He shook his head and dropped the knife. He didn’t know why he didn’t want to hurt JB.

He and his gang were the only people in his way that were stopping him from reaching the top.

_Why can’t I bring myself to hurt him?_

He looked back down to JB’s smile and then toward his eyes. He stood up, off of JB.

“You can’t do it?” the male in question asked. Youngjae didn’t want to answer the truth. _It’s because I can’t help but get captivated by your stare, your smile, you. I know it’s wrong. We’re rivals._

“Not without everyone else,” were the words that slipped out of Youngjae’s lips without him even thinking. He froze at his own words. JB stood up, dusting dirt off of his old jeans.

“A challenge? I see how it is,” he stated, “I guess I’ll see you later, right, Ars?” he finished, picking up his knife and walking away.

All Youngjae could do was watch JB’s retreating figure as his heart beat way too fast than he ever thought was possible.

 

* * *

 

Jaebum had turned a corner and collapsed onto the cold ground. Thoughts were flying around his head, none of which made any proper sense. He’d just tried to fight Ars, the male who had once pinned him to the ground with his stare.

He had gone out for a walk to calm himself down. That was until he had heard the most beautiful melody flowing through the air. It was calming and he figured he needed that at the time. He followed the sound.

And he had spotted the male who had taken his breath away.

He was so taken aback when Ars had started fighting back, he completely lost his own composure. He hated it.

_Why was it that every time Ars is there, I lose all the control I once had?_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i hope you all enjoyed that chapter~~  
> i really enjoyed writing it, but i'm sorry if it's not as detailed/good as usual, writer's block is annoying sigh ;;
> 
> i'm super active on [my twitter](https://twitter.com/yxgbam) all the time, so feel free to follow!!  
> again, thank you so so much for reading!! please leave comments/kudos, as it really motivates me to write more ^^


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